‘Stanley’ features in latest SafeWork SA safety campaign

Quick answer: SafeWork SA has launched a new safety campaign featuring Stanley the Cone — SafeWork SA's animated, talking safety cone — who walks South Australians through three prevalent workplace dangers: working at heights, roll-away vehicles and spills.

In a new awareness initiative by SafeWork SA, an animated safety cone that talks will play a central role, with the goal of helping South Australians ensure their safety at work.

The campaign, titled Safety at Work is a Serious Job, showcases Stanley the Cone offering guidance on three prevalent workplace dangers: ‘falls from heights, roll-away vehicles, and spills.’

SafeWork SA says the initiative seeks to remind employees, employers, and independent operators about the hazards and the necessity of prioritising safety, irrespective of their work environment.

Stanley the Cone: why a cartoon star gets the message across

Mascots cut through noise. Regulator messaging can be drowned out on busy construction sites where deadlines, machinery and mobile plant compete for attention, so a friendly character gives each reminder a memorable face.

Stanley delivers short, plain-language guidance that suits toolbox talks, inductions and lunchroom screens across trades, warehousing and health care environments.

Three prevalent workplace dangers in the spotlight

• Heights — roof edges, scaffold platforms, stepladders and unprotected voids remain among the most hazardous features of residential building work.
• Roll-aways — parked utes, trailers and unsecured mobile plant may shift without warning when handbrakes, chocks or ground gradients get overlooked.
• Spills — liquid pooling on smooth flooring creates an immediate slide-and-trip risk inside kitchens, warehouses and hospital corridors.

What construction and plant-heavy industries should take from the campaign

Supervisors throughout the construction industry carry clear duties under state work health and safety legislation, and Stanley simply repackages those obligations into everyday language that crews will actually recall on site.

Practical measures for construction firms and their plant operators include:

• Verifying registration, competency records and log books for high-reach plant before mobilisation.
• Scheduling plant maintenance and documented pre-start checks, not ad hoc glances.
• Chocking wheels, applying handbrakes and using designated parking zones on sloped ground.
• Cleaning up spillages immediately and signposting wet surfaces until dry.

Regulators are increasingly using storytelling to reach smaller businesses. Recent examples include a SafeWork SA campaign aiming to improve safety on farms, a silica dust awareness rollout, and an NHVR initiative targeting construction and waste sectors.

Electrical dangers deserve equal billing

Stanley's trio covers common ground, though it hardly covers everything. Electrical safety remains a leading cause of serious harm in Australian workplaces, particularly where damaged electrical leads, unprotected outlets and untested tools stay in circulation.

Before maintenance begins, isolating hazardous energy sources and verifying de-energisation protects everyone nearby. Written procedures make that expectation unambiguous — our Electrical Safety Policy sets out responsibilities, while the Electrical Safety Checklist supports routine inspections.

Build risk controls into daily routines

Awareness alone changes little without documentation behind it. A current risk assessment identifies what could go wrong; a maintained risk register records who owns each control and when reviews fall due.

Pair written procedures with clear workplace safety rules and digital reporting through safety software, so hazards raised by teams get actioned rather than filed away.

Where to find further guidance

For more information, visit the SafeWork SA website. Businesses wanting ready-to-use documentation can also contact our support team for template recommendations suited to their sector.